Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sundsvall Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sundsvall

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,807 in Sundsvall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,745 in Sundsvall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $3,684 in Sundsvall.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Sundsvall, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Sundsvall is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$15.45 SEK 147

-70.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$82.3 SEK 784

-60.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$11.47 SEK 109

-22.41%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$4.86 SEK 46.38

-42.39%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ฿28.94

$2.51 SEK 23.94

-64.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.98 SEK 18.85

-75.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$8.83 SEK 84.2

-72.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$7.85 SEK 74.8

-52.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.56 SEK 14.86

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$3.07 SEK 29.31

-53.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$3.69 SEK 35.19

-57.18%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.52 SEK 33.61

-39.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.03 SEK 95.7

98.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$10.12 SEK 96.5

-66.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$18.16 SEK 173

-37.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.75 SEK 26.19

7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.42 SEK 23.11

-28.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.61 SEK 24.90

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.13 SEK 39.35

-49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.53 SEK 14.58

-3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.41 SEK 13.44

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.84 SEK 17.57

-40.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.98 SEK 9.30

-41.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$7.78 SEK 74.1

-45.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$9.49 SEK 90.5

94.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.74 SEK 16.59

7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.43 SEK 13.62

104.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$3.51 SEK 33.45

-36.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$90.7 SEK 865

-74.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$6.21 SEK 59.2

-51.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$6.41 SEK 61.1

-83.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.85 SEK 17.60

-19.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$32.2K SEK 307.0K

-15.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$32.5K SEK 309.4K

-15.42%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$103 ฿3,380

$102 SEK 976

0.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.99 ฿361

$29.85 SEK 285

-63.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$31.63 SEK 302

-44.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.82 SEK 399

28.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$12.69 SEK 121

-11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$14.33 SEK 137

-47.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$557 ฿18.3K

$145 SEK 1,384

283.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$91.8 SEK 876

-30.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$29.13 SEK 278

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$78.6 SEK 749

22.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$138 SEK 1,320

-34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$701 SEK 6,682

4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$631 SEK 6,020

-20.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,230 SEK 11.7K

69.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$926 SEK 8,833

30.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,516 SEK 24.0K

42.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,357 SEK 12.9K

85.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$3,141 SEK 29.9K

-83.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.88

43.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $701 in Sundsvall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 524% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $82.0 in Sundsvall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $327 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Sundsvall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 524% lower in Sundsvall. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $701 in Sundsvall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $145 in Sundsvall. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Sundsvall. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,807 in Sundsvall, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sundsvall. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sundsvall, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sundsvall are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Sundsvall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.